Cape Hatteras Light
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Cape Hatteras lighthouse is located on Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina near the town of Buxton. The Outer Banks are a group of islands on the North Carolina coast that separate the Atlantic Ocean from the coastal sounds and inlets. Atlantic currents in this area made for excellent travel for ships, except in the area of Diamond Shoals, just offshore at Cape Hatteras. The large number of ships that ran aground because of these shifting sandbars gave this area the nickname “Graveyard of the Atlantic.” It also led Congress to authorize the construction of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse which is recognized by the National Park Service as the tallest lighthouse in America.
Timeline
- 1794: Congress authorized the construction of a lighthouse at Cape Hatteras.
- 1803: The first lighthouse on Cape Hatteras, a 90-foot tower built of sandstone, was built. Its small lamp did not shine far enough out to sea and when windows broke in storms the light was washed out.
- 1854: The tower was raised to over 150 feet and a first order Fresnel lens was installed.
- 1861: The lighthouse was damaged during the Battle of Fort Hatteras and Confederate troops took the lens with them. In the aftermath, the Lighthouse Board determined that it would be less expensive to build a new tower than to fix the old one.
- 1870: Construction on the new tower was completed and a new Fresnel lens was first lit on December 16 of that year.
- 1873: A black and white spiral design, or daymark, was added to make it easily identifiable during daylight.
- 1913: The lamp was changed to an incandescent oil vapor lamp.
- 1934: Electricity was first used to power the lamp.
- 1935: Erosion brought the sea to the very base of the lighthouse endangering it. A steel tower was built to take over its duties.
- 1950: A combination of human efforts and a natural change in erosion made the brick tower usable once more. It returned to use on January 23 of that year with new lighting equipment.
- 1972: The current light, a rotating beacon, was installed.
- 1999: The lighthouse was moved 2900 feet from its original location, placing it 1600 feet from the Atlantic Ocean.
Description
- Construction material: Approximately 1,250,000 bricks
- Height above sea level: 210 feet
- Height of the structure: about 207 1/2 feet (from the bottom of the foundation footer to the top of the spire on the roof)
- Daymark: black and white spiral stripes
- Number of steps: 268 steps to reach the light
- Brightness: 800 kilocandela from each of two 1000-watt lamps
- Flash pattern: Every 7.5 seconds a short flash is visible
- Visibility: From 20 nautical miles (37 km) in clear conditions. In exceptional conditions, it has been seen from 51 miles out.
- Coordinates of new location: 35° 15’ 02’’ North, 75° 31’ 43.7” West
- Coordinates of original location: 35° 15’ 18.6’’ North, 75° 31’ 10.5” West
Other information
The lighthouse is one of several on the North Carolina Outer Banks that are still operational including the Currituck, Bodie Island, Ocracoke, Cape Lookout, and Oak Island lighthouses.Due to the erosion of the shore, the Cape Hatteras lighthouse was moved from its original location at the edge of the ocean to safer ground 1600 feet inland. The move was controversial at the time with speculation that the structure would not survive the move, resulting in lawsuits that were later dismissed. Despite some opposition, work progressed and the move was completed between 1999 and 2000 in a massive operation.
Rededicated in 2000, the lighthouse is fully open to the public at its new location further inland and visitors can even climb the lighthouse stairs for a small fee during spring and summer months.
The light at the top is automated and is visible every 7 seconds. In good visibility conditions, the beacon can often be seen for 20 miles out at sea, although its official range is 24 miles under optimum conditions. Over 1 million bricks were used in the construction of the structure, which was built between 1868 to 1870 at a cost (then) of $167,500.
The Cape Hatteras lighthouse is still considered operational as a navigation aid maintained by the United States Coast Guard and the National Park Service. However, the need for the lighthouse has been reduced by modern day GPS and other electronic navigational devices.
The lighthouse beacon was also augmented by the 175 foot tall Diamond Shoals light tower, which is 12 miles off of the Hatteras coast. The light tower was put in place in 1967 and lightships were present before then dating back to 1824, including one lightship sunk by a German submarine in World War I. The light tower has recently been decommissioned by the United States Coast Guard, as maintenance on the structure proved too expensive in light of increasing reliance on GPS.
External links
- [National Park Service Hatteras Lighthouse Page]
- [NC Public Instruction Lighthouse Page]
- [Google Maps Link]
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